the white sturgeon of the upper Columbia River is an endangered species but I
River is an endangered species but I
River is an endangered species but I just hit the jackpot
struggling I’m with Larry he’ll abandon
struggling I’m with Larry he’ll abandon his team and we’ve caught a beautiful
his team and we’ve caught a beautiful
his team and we’ve caught a beautiful adult fish the question is is it a
adult fish the question is is it a
adult fish the question is is it a female oh it’s big the only way to find
female oh it’s big the only way to find
female oh it’s big the only way to find out is to examine the fish surgically so
out is to examine the fish surgically so
out is to examine the fish surgically so while the guys set up the o.r I make
while the guys set up the o.r I make
while the guys set up the o.r I make sure the fish isn’t stressed it’s a
sure the fish isn’t stressed it’s a
sure the fish isn’t stressed it’s a beautiful fish that classic slender
beautiful fish that classic slender
beautiful fish that classic slender sturgeon shape these big fins it’s
sturgeon shape these big fins it’s
sturgeon shape these big fins it’s almost like wings the fish is almost
almost like wings the fish is almost
almost like wings the fish is almost using these things like wings to
using these things like wings to
using these things like wings to Orient’s itself into the current so
Orient’s itself into the current so
Orient’s itself into the current so these fish feed okay with their pectoral
these fish feed okay with their pectoral
these fish feed okay with their pectoral fins out this is flying through the
fins out this is flying through the
fins out this is flying through the water historically sturgeon get much of
water historically sturgeon get much of
water historically sturgeon get much of their food from the ocean they actually
their food from the ocean they actually
their food from the ocean they actually do go into the saltwater the brackish
do go into the saltwater the brackish
do go into the saltwater the brackish water area for feeding depending on what
water area for feeding depending on what
water area for feeding depending on what the resources are fish here has no
the resources are fish here has no
the resources are fish here has no chance to get down to the officiator has
chance to get down to the officiator has
chance to get down to the officiator has never been to the ocean because there’s
never been to the ocean because there’s
never been to the ocean because there’s 14 dams between here and the in the
14 dams between here and the in the
14 dams between here and the in the Pacific yes this population had to adapt
Pacific yes this population had to adapt
Pacific yes this population had to adapt to being cut off from that rich ocean
to being cut off from that rich ocean
to being cut off from that rich ocean diet which might explain why the fish
diet which might explain why the fish
diet which might explain why the fish I’ve seen here are smaller than I
I’ve seen here are smaller than I
I’ve seen here are smaller than I expected the team is ready first we’ll
expected the team is ready first we’ll
expected the team is ready first we’ll get the basics weight length and girth
get the basics weight length and girth
get the basics weight length and girth this information goes into a database
this information goes into a database
this information goes into a database that monitors sturgeon caught on the
that monitors sturgeon caught on the
that monitors sturgeon caught on the Columbia 125 subtracting the weight of
Columbia 125 subtracting the weight of
Columbia 125 subtracting the weight of the stretcher that makes this fish 115
the stretcher that makes this fish 115
the stretcher that makes this fish 115 pounds
pounds
pounds size 14 hook size 14 hook it’s okay
size 14 hook size 14 hook it’s okay
size 14 hook size 14 hook it’s okay they’re checking for attack
you need to get me out on this
you need to get me out on this so is it while you hold that right at
so is it while you hold that right at
so is it while you hold that right at the tip of the snow okay red stuff I’m
the tip of the snow okay red stuff I’m
the tip of the snow okay red stuff I’m gonna take it out a bit
gonna take it out a bit
gonna take it out a bit the fourth length is 177 1.77 meter is
the fourth length is 177 1.77 meter is
the fourth length is 177 1.77 meter is almost exactly six feet it’s a mega fish
almost exactly six feet it’s a mega fish
almost exactly six feet it’s a mega fish but that’s the problem all the wild
but that’s the problem all the wild
but that’s the problem all the wild sturgeon here are adults so so there
sturgeon here are adults so so there
sturgeon here are adults so so there have it there’s been no reproduction
have it there’s been no reproduction
have it there’s been no reproduction these fish these large adult fish have
these fish these large adult fish have
these fish these large adult fish have not been able to reproduce
not been able to reproduce
not been able to reproduce since the dams when in the 1960s exactly
since the dams when in the 1960s exactly
since the dams when in the 1960s exactly they haven’t been able to reproduce
they haven’t been able to reproduce
they haven’t been able to reproduce enough young to replace themselves in
enough young to replace themselves in
enough young to replace themselves in the population and that means the
the population and that means the
the population and that means the population of these large individuals is
population of these large individuals is
population of these large individuals is declining every year getting older is
declining every year getting older is
declining every year getting older is this a gene getting older and older they
this a gene getting older and older they
this a gene getting older and older they can’t these fish can’t reproduce
can’t these fish can’t reproduce
can’t these fish can’t reproduce eventually they can go extinct exactly
eventually they can go extinct exactly
eventually they can go extinct exactly the dams on this river have interfered
the dams on this river have interfered
the dams on this river have interfered with the sturgeons ability to reproduce
with the sturgeons ability to reproduce
with the sturgeons ability to reproduce what I want to know is how I’m just
what I want to know is how I’m just
what I want to know is how I’m just gonna affect the area right now
gonna affect the area right now
gonna affect the area right now I’m hoping that this fish will give me a
I’m hoping that this fish will give me a
I’m hoping that this fish will give me a clue it’s a remarkably calm they are but
clue it’s a remarkably calm they are but
clue it’s a remarkably calm they are but every once awhile they will explore ok
every once awhile they will explore ok
every once awhile they will explore ok the skin of these fish is quite thick so
the skin of these fish is quite thick so
the skin of these fish is quite thick so I’ll make a very shallow incision to
I’ll make a very shallow incision to
I’ll make a very shallow incision to grab on and then I can lift the body
grab on and then I can lift the body
grab on and then I can lift the body wall away from the organs just be a
wall away from the organs just be a
wall away from the organs just be a little safer so you’ve gone through the
little safer so you’ve gone through the
little safer so you’ve gone through the skin and now you’re the fish team is
skin and now you’re the fish team is
skin and now you’re the fish team is called and the procedure is sterile but
called and the procedure is sterile but
called and the procedure is sterile but we have to work fast inside the body
we have to work fast inside the body
we have to work fast inside the body fabric just into the body cavity now I’m
fabric just into the body cavity now I’m
fabric just into the body cavity now I’m gonna look inside with the otoscope
gonna look inside with the otoscope
gonna look inside with the otoscope which is really a doctor with you to
which is really a doctor with you to
which is really a doctor with you to look in your ears for instance do you
look in your ears for instance do you
look in your ears for instance do you have any sense whether that’s a male or
have any sense whether that’s a male or
have any sense whether that’s a male or a female
a female
a female I do know there’s eggs inside the
I do know there’s eggs inside the
I do know there’s eggs inside the otoscope this fish is likely to spawn
otoscope this fish is likely to spawn
otoscope this fish is likely to spawn this year oh that’s amazing I would that
this year oh that’s amazing I would that
this year oh that’s amazing I would that answers one question for me
answers one question for me
answers one question for me the sturgeon here are generating eggs if
the sturgeon here are generating eggs if
the sturgeon here are generating eggs if I would not have suspect there there’s
I would not have suspect there there’s
I would not have suspect there there’s so many eggs in there I can’t see more
so many eggs in there I can’t see more
so many eggs in there I can’t see more than about a centimeter this is great
than about a centimeter this is great
than about a centimeter this is great the team will now tag her with an
the team will now tag her with an
the team will now tag her with an electronic transmitter so they can track
electronic transmitter so they can track
electronic transmitter so they can track her during spawning to learn if and
her during spawning to learn if and
her during spawning to learn if and where she deposits her eggs so this is a
where she deposits her eggs so this is a
where she deposits her eggs so this is a sonic tag and this tag has a life of
sonic tag and this tag has a life of
sonic tag and this tag has a life of about ten years these are long-lived
about ten years these are long-lived
about ten years these are long-lived things to me and we will get a lot of
things to me and we will get a lot of
things to me and we will get a lot of information I can see that she’s still
information I can see that she’s still
information I can see that she’s still breathing strong her heels are moving so
breathing strong her heels are moving so
breathing strong her heels are moving so the tags in just suture it up
the tags in just suture it up
the tags in just suture it up sit her up and back you look like you
sit her up and back you look like you
sit her up and back you look like you know you’re doing so do do humans too or
know you’re doing so do do humans too or
know you’re doing so do do humans too or just fish obviously it’s a little bit
just fish obviously it’s a little bit
just fish obviously it’s a little bit tired now try to get a little bit of
tired now try to get a little bit of
tired now try to get a little bit of oxygen through its gills it’s just a
oxygen through its gills it’s just a
oxygen through its gills it’s just a beautiful fish and I think she’s ready
beautiful fish and I think she’s ready
beautiful fish and I think she’s ready to go so I guess it’s time to say
to go so I guess it’s time to say
to go so I guess it’s time to say goodbye see if we can get her to swim
goodbye see if we can get her to swim
goodbye see if we can get her to swim away Wow
away Wow
away Wow there she go I got act
”
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